29: SILVER FOX

Wang Xiu carefully pours the simmering hot water from the kettle into the pot with freshly dried green tea leaves inside. The steam of the heated sheets provides a minty refreshing scent that fills the room with its aroma.

She reaches for the remote control resting at the top of the table beside her set of cups and turns on the television to watch the news about the trial.

!!!DIRECTOR LIM'S FEMALE LAWYER LEFT THE COURT!!!

The woman pushes the button for the next channel when she sees the face of Ms. Bao Hwei Ru flash on the screen.

!!!MS. TANG PREDICTED TO WIN THE CASE AGAINST DIRECTOR LIM!!!

Wang Xiu stares at the television studying the image that the news used to show her face. It was taken from the street while they were walking towards the car from the courtroom. Her face is blurred to protect her from being recognized by people. She presses the button to get to the next station and watch the news about the case.

!!!MR. YANG, STILL CONFIDENT TO WIN!!!

They are all about the defense side and not the plaintiff.

Knocks on the door disrupt her attention from the television. Wang Xiu doesn't expect Honey to come back so soon from the meeting she has with her firm and she doesn't expect anyone else to come to visit her that day.

The woman opens the door without looking at the peering glass and stands shocked to see a tall woman with white short hair standing in the hallway with a bouquet of white orchids in her hand.

"Hi!" The Silver Fox smiles.

Wang Xiu's eyes stay wide with her mouth open as she searches for a reason for the woman to visit her or how the CEO found where she stays.

"Are you going to continue staring at me or are you going to let me in?" Fei Hong asks, raising her brow when the young executive stands gazing at her.

Yang Fei Hong understands Wang Xiu's surprising stare. After the disappointing response of the woman from her offer, she could have done everything to bring the executive down with the company she works for.

Yet, the CEO did the opposite. She asks for an investigator to peer inside the Long Construction's projects that Wang Xiu handles including the advertisement film with Director Ang Lim. The crew that Ms. Zhang hired for filming came from her company which the CEO gave the lowest price for hiring. 

When she heard about the alleged assault on Wang Xiu, she was extremely furious at the director. Fei Hong knows the press will be all around it like vultures picking up the carcass of the woman's spirit so she opted to reach for Wang Xiu's uncle and declare her support to suppress the news around the case.

"What can I do for you, Mrs. Yang," Wang Xiu asks, setting one of her hands on her waist.

"Call me Fei —"

"—Mrs. Yang."

The Silver Fox snickers, "You seem to be more hostile than before."

"Your son came here to tell me to stop having an affair with you," The young woman disclosed the scene where she hides behind the door while Honey accommodates the lawyer.

"Then, giving you flowers is appropriate." CEO Yang stretches her arms to deliver the sprouts wrapped in dried abaca threads.

The freshly bloomed white orchids smell refreshing to Wang Xiu's nostrils. The flower means "I miss you". And the woman thought three words to answer for the flowers she accepted from the CEO.

"I hate you,"

"I know."

"But I hate your son more,"

"I know."

"Come in." Wang Xiu invites the CEO inside the room.

The woman twirls to scan the whole room. The thirty-two-inch television on the wall is a reasonable size to watch the news. The cup of green tea still simmering hot fills the room with a refreshing aroma. The long four-seaters verdant sofa gives elegance to the room opposite the bed with the same gold and green colored sheets that cover the mattress.

The CEO bites her lips, scanning the size of the bed. A naughty inkling suddenly comes to her head.

"What do you want, Mrs. Yang," Wang Xiu inquires, glaring at the Silver Fox eyeing the bed.

"I can help your case—"

"I don't need your help." The young executive crosses her arms on her chest her voice sounds stiff, determined not to take the woman's offer.

"You will need my help. My son doesn't like to lose." Mrs. Yang warns the woman from her son.

"Your help always has a price." Wang Xiu nearly shouts at the CEO, reacting about the offer.

"Justice as payment is enough for me. I want that pig to go be behind bars for what he did to you and one of my staff." The matriarch answers with her brows creasing from hate mentioning the swine that harms the woman she cares for.

"One of your employees?" The young woman puts down her arms and steps forward, wondering if the Silver Fox is telling the truth or not.

"He allegedly assaulted one of my employees two years ago while they were filming a series for television." Fei Hong discloses the information of the case while stepping towards the faultlessly clean mattress and sitting on the middle of its edge.

"Is there no record of the case?" Wang Xiu paces forward in front of the CEO.

"No. They ended up in a settlement and part of the deal is an NDA." The Silver Fox reveals more information about the case to pique the woman's interest.

"NDA? A Non-disclosure agreement. No wonder it doesn't show up on record." The executive stands feet away from the matriarch Yang with her eyes low feeling awful for the employee who experienced a similar incident.

"Everyone who was part of the case was forced to sign a contract that will stop them from telling anyone about the lawsuit in exchange for a lump sum." Fei Hong explains, recalling the details of the assault. She remembers offering the employee support for continuing the case against the director but the woman wants money making the CEO doubt the attack on the female staff.

"And you didn't sign?" Wang Xiu sits beside the CEO on top of the bed.

"They can't afford me." The Silver Fox let out a sly grin on her face.

"Can you go to a witness stand?" The executive faces Mrs. Yang and leans forward to request help.

"Yes, but in one condition." Fei Hong veers, tilting her body to move closer to the Wang Xiu.

The executive chuckles and scoffs, "Deals are not close until you gain something from it, right?" The executive stands up from the mattress as she realizes the information was bait.

"I want you to forgive me." Fei Hong grabs Wang Xiu's hand before the woman can walk away.

She pulls her hand from the woman's grasps and faces the CEO with a furious expression, "No. You're the one who told Min Ah's husband about our relationship," Wang Xiu pauses, "Go to hell!"

"Have you ever thought that if Min Ah truly loves you, she will leave her husband instead of leaving you?" The Silver Fox stands up from the bed and followed Wang Xiu marching away from the bed.

!!!PAK!!!

Wang Xiu's surprising slap on Fei Hong's left cheek after twisting back caught the Silver Fox's in a defenseless state.

"GET OUT!!!" The woman yells on top of her lungs. Her jaws are stiff from the bitter anger rushing through her body.

"GET OUT!!!" Wang Xiu shoves the CEO away with both of her hands, hitting the narrow shoulders of the tall woman.

But Fei Hong stands unmoved by the force of the push while caressing her reddened cheek where Wang Xiu strikes her.

"GET OUT!!!" Another aggressive thrust from Wang Xiu made the Silver Fox step back. And another one compelled the CEO to pace a few notches behind. The back of her legs hit the mattress. She is cornered between the furious woman and the bed.

Wang Xiu nudges the older woman hard but the CEO catches both of her hands and pulls her close. The action made Fei Hong lose her balance and she falls on the bed with Wang Xiu on top.

Their faces are an inch away, breathing the same cold air the AC of the room makes. Wang Xiu's sweet scent of vanilla and jasmine mix with Fei Hong's woody and citrus aroma, like a flower from a tree finally bearing fruit for the first time.

It's a miracle.

Wang Xiu crosses the line. She kisses Fei Hong with her eyes wide awake. Her dark brown irises reflect the yearning to feel the warmth of affection while the older woman's eyes are willing to give them.

The CEO allows Wang Xiu's hands to be free and instead encloses the woman's body to be wrapped in a tight embrace. The comforting experience weakens the executive's resistance to the Silver Fox's appeal and as Wang Xiu surrenders her pride, she gently closes her eyes and grants Fei Hong the authority to savor her rims. Deeper. Her lips parted wider. Deeper. Fei Hong's tongue reaches inside to tempt her into a mischievous exchange of spittle. Deeper. Wang Xiu can feel the woman's mouth sucking the playful muscle inside her maw.

"Uhhmm…"

Wang Xiu cannot resist letting out the sound of the mouthful pleasure. The Silver Fox's hands are now clutching her nape and waist, squeezing her body tight like a girl with her pillow aching for a companion in her lonely bed.

"Wang Xiu!!!"

She abruptly shoves the CEO away from her body and rolled away to quickly stand up from the bed and turns to face the person who owns the high-pitched voice that called her name.

Honey is still holding the knob of the door while glaring at them with her narrow eyes. The lawyer's other hand is dramatically positioned on her waist and her lips purses from disappointment.

"C-CEO Yang is here to help us win our case," Wang Xiu stutters, explaining the purpose of the Silver Fox's presence inside the room while wiping the wetness out of the corner of her lips.

"Is that why you sold your lips to CEO Yang?" Honey raises her brow standing still at the doorway. Her sarcastic question echoes through the room with her loud voice.

Wang Xiu didn't answer the scrutiny that her best friend throws at her. She looks away, staring at her feet to avoid the judging glare of Honey.

CEO Yang arches her lips into a wide grin feeling amused from being caught by the lawyer. She took a card from the pocket inside her coat and handed it over to Wang Xiu, "Call me when you need me," Fei Hong says.

The Silver Fox stands up from the bed and struts towards the door, passing by the counselor still standing beside the entryway with her arms crossed at her chest.

In the hallway, the CEO stops and turns to leave a message to the lawyer, "My son will aim for a mistrial if he thinks he's going to lose," Fei Hong reveals the plan to the opposing side.

Honey turns her face to declare her answer to CEO Yang, "Don't worry, I'm prepared for the worst. And tell your son, don't meddle on her mother's affairs, okay?"

The matriarch Yang nods her head and pivots towards the direction of the elevator. Fei Hong touches her rims with her fingers that the young woman nibbles a few minutes ago and lets out a mischievous curve on her lips. She recalls the first time she tasted Wang Xiu's sweet and succulent edges.

"I was your first Wang Xiu, I'll make sure I'm going to be your last," Yang Fei Hong declares as the woman rides the elevator of the hotel.